Can, Could, May, and Would: requests, permission, offers, and invitations

UNIT 30  Can, Could, May, and Would: requests, permission, offers, and  invitations

A.   Asking people to do things (requests)

We often use can or could when we ask someone to do something:

Can you wait a moment, please?
Ann, can you do me a favor?
Excuse me. Could you tell me how to get to the bus station? 
Do you think you could lend me some money?
I wonder if you could help me.

We also use would to ask someone to do something:

Ann, would you do me a favor? 
Would you wait here, please?


B.   To ask for something you can say Can I have . . . ?/ Could I have . . . ?/ May I have . . . ?:

• (in a gift shop) Can I have these postcards, please?

• (at the dinner table) Could I have the salt, please?                         

C.   Asking for and giving permission
We often use can, could, or may to ask permission to do something:

• (on the telephone) Hello, can I speak to Tom, please?

• "Could I use your telephone?''  ''Yes, of course''

• "Do you think I could borrow your bicycle?''  ''Yes, help yourself''

• "May I come in?''   "Yes, please do."

To give permission, we use can or may (but not could):

• You can (or may) smoke if you like.

D.   We sometimes use can or may when we offer to do things. (May is more formal.):

• "Can I get you a cup of coffee?"   ''That's very nice of you''

• (in a store) "May I help you, ma'am?"   ''No thank you. I'm being helped''

E.   For offering and inviting we use Would you like . . . ? (not do you like)

• Would you like a cup of coffee? (not do you like)

• Would you like to go to the movies with us tomorrow evening? (not do you like to come)

I'd like (= I would like) is a polite way of saying what you want or what you want to do:

• I'd like some information about hotels, please.

• I'd like to try on this jacket, please.